These words refer to the convert taking of property that belongs to someone else. Steal is the most general of these and can refer to any such act, whether done quickly or cautiously and whether a large or small amount of stolen goods is involved. Pilfer , by contrast, specifically suggests a small amount of stolen goods and may even imply a series of brief forays, each netting a small amount: diners who constantly pilfer restaurant cutlery. Filch also suggests petty theft, but emphasizes the furtiveness of the action: to filch apples from a fruit stall. Purloin is a formal, bookish term for steal or filch .

Snitch and nick , like pilfer , suggest the stealing of a small amount or of something of little value. Furthermore, they imply a relative innocence of the person who does the snitching and the harmlessness of the act: children who become adept at snitching biscuits from the tin between meals; The kids nick any loose change if we do not ask for it. Both words often have a humorous or affectionate tone because of their association with children. Swipe and send off may suggest a quick, brazen making off with something while the owner is no present: someone swiped my spare tyre from the car while I was in the shop. They are often used informally among friends or intimates to suggest pique over something borrowed without permission: Who sent off (or swiped ) my cigarettes? Pinch may suggest the stealing of something small, but by no means of something without value. It most often suggests, in fact, a direct physical encounter, as in a crowded street between a pickpocket and his victim: Fagin teaching his ragamuffins how to pinch a gentleman’s wallet without his noticing it. Souvenir is a euphemism for pilfer : a person who souvenirs hotel towels.

Heist is argot among professional thieves, especially in the United States, for a complicated job involving something either of great size or value, and which must be planned in advance and in great detail: those who had planned the pay-roll heist . Lift refers to the work of shoplifters who take goods from counters or shelves or remove money from momentarily unattended tills. When used more generally, its point may be, like that of swipe , the innocence or "borrowing" aspect of the removal: lifting a pencil from a neighbour’s desk.